Udoka Azubuike Will Play For Celtics In Summer League
Jun 29, 2023, 1:15 PM | Updated: Aug 1, 2023, 12:40 pm
Udoka Azubuike #20 of the Utah Jazz slam dunks the ball over Justin Robinson #55 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of their game October 13, 2021 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike will look to continue his NBA career after signing with the Boston Celtics summer league roster.
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss reported the news as the Celtics worked to finalize their roster ahead of the Las Vegas Summer League.
“The Celtics have added former first round pick Udoka Azubuike to the summer league roster, a team source told @TheAthleticNBA,” Weiss tweeted.
The Celtics have added former first round pick Udoka Azubuike to the summer league roster, a team source told @TheAthleticNBA
More details on the summer league roster, the team’s next moves as free agency opens, and why Aaron Miles left for the Pelicans: https://t.co/jdO9Pnp4SJ
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) June 29, 2023
Udoka Azubuike Draft Choice Was A Bust
Azubuike’s career with Jazz was on borrowed time after the team declined to pick up his fourth-year team option last November.
The reserve center was 27th pick by the Jazz in the 2020 NBA Draft, but rarely saw the floor during his tenure in Utah.
Just days after the Jazz surprised many by selecting Azubuike in the first round, the team signed veteran center Derrick Favors as the primary backup to Rudy Gobert.
Udunka Azubuike.
yeah, that's the one 😌 pic.twitter.com/Q2Xl3jpJCe
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 30, 2023
Azubuike’s disappointing stretch in Utah was marred with injuries and inconsistent effort and opportunities.
The former Kansas standout suffered two significant ankle injuries while playing with the Salt Lake City Stars, and only saw the floor in the NBA during cleanup minutes or when the Jazz were lacking depth in the frontcourt.
Azubuike averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in nine minutes per game in 68 appearances over three seasons.
Related: Jazz Announce Summer League Roster
In his final season at Kansas, Azubuike averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 2.6 blocks in 27.7 minutes per contest.
Azubuike was honored as the Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year during his final season at Kansas.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
